Ballistic set including a projectile and its launching device

ABSTRACT

The invention pertains to a ballistic set including a projectile and its launching device, wherein a propelling charge is totally enclosed within a tube, said charge being fired by means of a mechanical device.

United States Patent [1 1 Bornand June 10, 1975 BALLISTIC SET INCLUDING A [56] References Cited PROJECTILE AND ITS LAUNCHING UNITED STATES PATENTS DEVICE 1,885,126 |932 Medlock 42/1 F Inventor: Robert M. Bornand y 3,496.828 2/1970 DOIIHCI 89/27 R Switzerland 3,570,365 3/197! 42/! F [73] Assignee: Valinor Anstalt, Vaduz, Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Liechtenstein Assistant Examiner-C. I Jordan [22] Filed Oct 16 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Young & Thompson [21] Appl. N0.: 406,929

[57] ABSTRACT The invention pertains to a ballistic set including a [30] Fomgn Apphamm Pnonty Dam projectile and its launching device, wherein a propel- Oct. 5, I973 Switzerland [4240/73 ling charge is totally enclosed within a tube, said charge being fired by means of a mechanical device. [52] US. Cl. 42/1 F; 102/652 [51 Int. Cl. F4lc 27/06 [58] Field of Search 89/1 F, 27 R, l B; 42/] F, 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUN 1 0 I975 SHEET 1 BALLISTIC SET INCLUDING A PROJECTILE AND ITS LAUNCHING DEVICE The present invention relates to a ballistic set including a projectile and its launching device, comprising, on the one hand, a propelling device (hereinafter called propeller) removably housed in the body of the projectile and formed by a tube, capable of resisting radial distorsion under the pressure brought about by the combustion of a launching charge, the apparent volume of the latter completely filling the bottom part of the tube, said charge being located between a piston and an igniting plug, and, on the other hand, a push-rod resting against said piston and intended to act on the projectile when launched, the launching device further comprising a carriage extended by a guiding tip and provided with means for igniting the launching charge.

This ballistic set is characterized in that the said igniting means are mechanical means housed partly in the carriage and partly in the guiding tip extension of the latter.

The attached drawings show, by way of a mere example, one embodiment of a ballistic set according to the invention, the projectile being a grenade.

FIG. 1 shows a partial view in axial section of the front part of the ballistic set, comprising the propeller, the igniting means for the launching charge and the front part of the carriage.

FIG. 2 shows a partial view in axial section of the rear part of the ballistic set, comprising the rear part of the carriage and the triggering mechanism.

FIG. 3 shows a side elevational view on a smaller scale of the ballistic appliance.

The illustrated ballistic set comprises a grenade having a head 1 attached to the front end ofa tubular body 2, for instance made from a light alloy. On the rear part of the said tubular body are affixed fins 3, for instance made from plastics such as Nylon. For being launched the grenade is mounted at the front end of a tubular carriage indicated as a whole as A. This carriage comprises a tube 4 (for example made from an aluminium alloy) angled according to the desired shooting angle and carrying at its rear end a foot 5 with an anchoring tip 6 designed to bear on the ground.

The carriage A has a shoulder strap 7 for transport and also for ensuring the desired shooting angle when firing, through putting a foot inside of the said strap.

The carriage A may be provided with an aiming device.

The launching device of the ballistic set comprises a propeller, indicated as a whole as B (FIG. I), removably housed in the tubular body 2 of the grenade; a guiding tip 10 integral with the carriage A; a mechani' cal device for igniting the launching charge contained in the propeller B and a triggering device indicated as a whole as C (FIG. 2).

The propeller B (FIG. 1), removably housed in the tubular body 2 of the grenade, comprises a steel tube 11 in the bottom acting as a breech of which is housed a launching charge 12, compressed or compacted by a piston 13, made from half-hard brass and press-fit mounted in tube 11. On the front face of the piston 13 rests a steel push-rod 14, which is guided in a threaded bush l5 screwed in tube 11. The said pushrod 14, integral with the grenade, has at its front end a head resting against the front of the tube 2 of the grenade and is provided for propelling the latter, pursuant to the pressure peak resulting from the explosion of the launching charge 12. The propeller also comprises a steel igniter plug 18, axially screwed in the rear part of the tube 11. The tail-piece of the striker 18 is slightly sunk in relation to the rear face of the body of the igniter plug 18. The guiding tip 10, around the front end of which is slipped the tube 2 of the grenade, has its rear end screwed in a threaded steel sleeve 22, screwed in tube 4 of carriage A. In the axially perforated bore of the guiding tip 10, there is a floating lifter 21, the front end of which pushes the tail end of the striker 18 before butting against the rear face of the annular stop 23. At the rear end of the floating lifter 21, there is a ring 24, mounted on the guide-rod 25 and retained by the keeper pin 26, said ring resting against said floating lifter. At the rear end of the ring 24, there is a compression spring 27 exerting a thrust on the said ring and freely mounted on the rod 25 and in the bore of the guiding tip 10. The rear end of said spring 27 rests on the front face of the ring 28 (FIG. 2) screwed on the rear end of the guide tip 10. The damper ring 29 is solidly mounted on the rod 25. The rear end of rod 25 is shaped into a head having a face at right angles with its axis, and wherein are engaged a pair of hooked earns 30. Both steel cams 30 are housed in the front end of the cam carrier 31 and are mounted on pivot pins 32, which are press-fit mounted in the cam carrier 31. The compression spring 33 keeps cam 30 in engagement with the hooking face of guide-rod 25. The cam carrier 31 can be moved in the sleeve 34, which is firmly mounted in the tube 4. To this effect, the sliding sleeve 35 is firmly connected with the cam carrier 31 by means of the cross-shaft 36. A longitudinal aperture, provided in tube 4 and sleeve 34, allows one to move the cam carrier 31 by means of said sliding sleeve 35. The rear face of the cam carrier 31 butts at the end of its stroke against the front face of the rubber damper 37 which is attached by means of the screw 39 to the washer 40 integrally attached to tube 4.

Firing of the launching charge 12 is obtained by downwardly pulling the sliding sleeve 35, this in turn driving the guide rod 25 which then compresses spring 27, and causes a pressure drop to occur in the bore of the guide tip 10, due to which the floating lifter is also forced to slide back. The cams 30, when entering the cone 34 of the sleeve 34, open and suddenly release the guide rod 25. The latter, due to the liberated spring 27, throws forward the floating lifter 21. The front end of the latter hits the tail end of the striker 18', which itself is freely housed in the igniter body, and strikes the firing primer 40. Thus the launching charge 12 is fired, which propells the piston 13 and push-rod 14, due to the pressure peak obtained in the tube 11 of the propeller B. The push-rod l4, integral with the grenade I, propells the latter and once it has left the tube 1], the propeller containing the piston 13 falls down on the ground in front of the carriage.

What we claim is:

I. In a ballistic device comprising a projectile and a launcher for said projectile, the projectile comprising a rearwardly extending tube containing a combustion chamber which in turn contains a combustible launching charge sealed in the chamber by means of a piston at the forward side of the charge. the launcher comprising a guiding tip that extends forwardly into the tube, the piston bearing at its forward side on a rod that pro pels the projectile, and ignition means for the launching charge; the improvement in which said ignition means comprises a floating lifter disposed in said guide tip and a floating striker disposed in said projectile at the rear of said combustion chamber, there being a firing primer between said striker and said combustion charge. a guide rod reciprocable in said guide tip, and spring means urging said guide rod toward said floating lifter whereby upon movement of said guide rod toward said floating lifter under the influence of said spring means, said floating lifter strikes said floating striker which in turn strikes said primer to ignite said combustion charge 2. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said floating striker having a rear surface that rests on an annular ledge carried by said tube and having a rearwardly extending tail that projects through the annulus of said ledge for contact by said floating lifter.

3. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said guide rod sealing with the interior of said guiding tip thereby to draw said floating lifter away from said floating striker upon movement of said guide rod away from said projectile.

4. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said guiding tip having a rear end screwed into a tube that surrounds a portion of said guide rod. l 

1. In a ballistic device comprising a projectile and a launcher for said projectile, the projectile comprising a rearwardly extending tube containing a combustion chamber which in turn contains a combustible launching charge sealed in the chamber by means of a piston at the forward side of the charge, the launcher comprising a guiding tip that extends forwardly into the tube, the piston bearing at its forward side on a rod that propels the projectile, and ignition means for the launching charge; the improvement in which said ignition means comprises a floating lifter disposed in said guide tip and a floating striker disposed in said projectile at the rear of said combustion chamber, there being a firing primer between said striker and said combustion charge, a guide rod reciprocable in said guIde tip, and spring means urging said guide rod toward said floating lifter whereby upon movement of said guide rod toward said floating lifter under the influence of said spring means, said floating lifter strikes said floating striker which in turn strikes said primer to ignite said combustion charge.
 2. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said floating striker having a rear surface that rests on an annular ledge carried by said tube and having a rearwardly extending tail that projects through the annulus of said ledge for contact by said floating lifter.
 3. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said guide rod sealing with the interior of said guiding tip thereby to draw said floating lifter away from said floating striker upon movement of said guide rod away from said projectile.
 4. A ballistic device as claimed in claim 1, said guiding tip having a rear end screwed into a tube that surrounds a portion of said guide rod. 